Sabo tried to keep it together in front of the announcement. Even if Percy had already given him the news, it was still a horrible new. One glance at Robin told him all there was to know.
It was very possible that Umbridge would make them go away as a priority.
The worried look from Luffy toward them made his heart hurt. He didn't like seeing his brother worried. Even less when it was for him.
It was then that he noticed Spade leaving something in front of Luffy, then fly straight toward Umbridge, surprising her, before letting something fall in her plate.
A black letter.
« Oh no…» groaned Sabo.
He threw a glance toward Robin to see that she had already disappeared. He followed her lead.
If the letter was from Ace, he didn't want to be at the same table as her when she would open it.
Anyway, all the teachers were looking curiously at the letter.
«What…» began to say Harry when he saw Sabo and Robin escape the head table.
«Sabo may be the genius of the family, but Ace stay the most creative… and it's one of his creation. That's how I knew he was alive after Marine Ford. It's his version of a Howler…» whispered Luffy.
He moved his collar away from his neck a little and showed a light scar present there.
«And that's what it left behind, knowing that he wanted just to scolded me.
The black letter exploded at this instant in a huge boom which destroyed the Head Table and toppled most of them from their seat. A black fire spread form on the wood. Black fire that looked like a huge panther. »
Several professors tried to make it disappear.
«They are wasting their time, even I can say» commented Parvati. It doesn't look like normal fire…
«Because it isn't» pointed Nami.
«Mera mera no mi…» murmured Vivi putting two and two together.
The huge panther let out a growl which made the teacher take a step back and turned to Umbridge who crawled back against a wall, her shaking wand pointed toward the huge creature who could easily outweigh a giant.
With a quick move of its paw, the panther grabbed Umbridge and pushed her against a wall, making the castle shake. Prisoner under the claws of the beast, the woman was defenseless.
«That marines and pirates go after him on the Grand Line, I have nothing to say, since that's how it works…»yowled the panther with Ace's voice.
The voice was so amplified that you probably could hear it from the other end of the castle.
«That criminals try to compete with him, is one thing… but that a woman pretending to be a teacher hurt him physically and voluntary, under the pretext that she refuses to see the real danger outside of the world, it's unacceptable! »
The panther moved his huge head so that it was at one hair of Umbridge's, to the point that she could feel the breath of the burning creature on her face.
«Seeing that, apparently, if I kill you, the Ministry will send someone even worse, I will just warn you a little… if something happens to my otouto, I will kill you. Then, to make sure that your incompetent Minister of Magic doesn't come to annoy us, I'll destroy him and his government… except some that I judge decent… I hope I was clear. If I have to repeat myself, it will hurt. My brothers areoff limits. If one hair of their head is harmed and you and your lovely Fudge are dead… and believe me, I counted the hair of my brothers before letting them go… I will know. »
With one last deafening yowl, the panther flamed, leaving Umbridge fall back on the ground, unconscious from fear, badly burn, and bleeding where the claws of the panther had torn her skin.
«Ace is an idiot, Luffy clearly stated, breaking the silence that had fallen on the room.
The spell was broken and all the students began to whisper between themselves, looking successively toward Luffy and then the head table. Madam Pomphrey had just evacuated Umbridge while the other teachers were repairing the table.
«He is worried, like Vivi and me! » growled Nami, angry.
«But you don't need to! »
Nami took his hand and showed the long scar on it.
«The only scars I know you have, that can rival this, they were given to you by Lucci or then, you gained them at Impel Down and Marine Ford! We should be able to pass our year at school in peace, without having to fear for our lives! »
«She's right Luffy, it's not normal, this situation… I should…» began Vivi.
«No, Vivi, you're protected by your anonymity, » cut Sabo joining them.
«You're the one who warned Ace? » Asked Luffy.
«He has the right to know. If I hadn't, Karasu would have gone. Where is Shayna? »
«In the dorm. »
«I want you to keep her with you at all time. No protestation. Go take her. »
«But…»
Sabo scowled and Luffy stood up with a sigh. His brother was angry, it wasn't advised to protest.
«I didn't even read Ace's letter…» mumbled Luffy.
«I'll give you the letter when you're back! » Stated Hermione catching the letter.
Ouch! The prefect was on her brother's side.
Luffy straightened on his potion table when Snape stood in front of him.
«Who helped you with your homework, Mister Monkey? »
Luffy stared at him dumbly, and leaned his head on one side.
«That you give me one, that's already huge, but add to that, something right, it's almost impossible. So, I'll ask you one last time… who helped you with your homework? »
«Nobody. Well, Nami threatened me so that I would work, but other than that, I received no help. »
Snape raised an eyebrow. This boy was a complete mystery.
He put the work in front of the boy's nose, and everyone near him were surprised to see the O that was written reluctantly on the high corner of the parchment.
«How did you do that? » Asked Neville, staring gobsmacked at his friend.
«Wakaranai. »
The fifth year were coming back from defense when they saw Vivi and Nami talking in low voices in the common room, Luffy sleeping on the lap of the ginger head.
Vivi made a sign for them to be silent and continued her talk with Nami.
«Why doesn't he sleep during the night, instead of raising so early to train? » Muttered Ron as climb with the others boys in their dorm.
«I don't know…» commented Harry. Maybe he doesn't sleep well. »
Shayna hissed, from Luffy's bed, catching the attention of the Boy-Who-Lived. He listened attentively, then turned to his dorm-mates.
«Shayna say that, apparently, he has nightmares keeping him from falling asleep again. »
«What sort of nightmare could he have for this to happen? » Mumbled Dean.
Harry remembered the talk he had with Sabo the first morning he had passed with the siblings, in their grand-father's house. This fear of losing your family. Then, he remembered the scar that was in the center of Luffy's chest. Easy to understand why he had this fear, if last summer was a small indication as to the everyday life at sea of his friend.
«Seeing his life and his family, his personality, I think he must fear losing his friends and his family» said Neville. «He almost lost his older brother, and his crew got away with one hair, from what Nami told Hermione. I think that in front of that, he has all the rights to be worried. »
For now, Flitwick, Trelawney, McGonagall and Grubbly-Planck had been inspected. When they saw Umbridge following them for the class of Natural Magic, the Gryffindors were worried. Fortunately, they were less in the class, and no one even though of putting in question Sabo's authority.
«Professor Umbridge, » greeted Sabo in a cold and indifferent tone. «I hope you will be able to judge the quality of the teaching of the discipline by this class. »
«I hope so too, professor Silver», smiled the pink toad staring at Sabo with a cold air and big beady eyes.
«Good Morning everybody! » Greeted Sabo.
«Good Morning professor! » Answered the students.
It wasn't like with Umbridge that treated them like preschool children, though Harry. No, Sabo was just being polite and with his warm and welcoming smile, how could we not answer. He had, like Marco before him, a way to put the students at ease.
«Good, for today's class, we will concentrate on creation. We will do simple, and begin with a simple ball. After, we will raise the difficulty, but that's the objective for the beginning of the class. Now that it is said, you can go. Good run. »
The students put their things down and began to run the number of laps decided by Sabo at the beginning of the year.
Harry had taken a liking to this exercise. He was feeling in better form since he did it. And it was easier to access his magic too. And it was a good way to escape Dudley when he wanted to go after him.
«Why do you make them run? » Asked the professor Umbridge taking notes.
«The Natural Magic is depending of the physical form of the one using it, » Sabo answered her. «The more a wizard is physically fit, the better his magic will answer him and will drastically reduce the possibility of it rebelling. Plus, it's a good way for them to keep a good health, and with that, to make sure that they have a good long and healthy life. »
«You have seen case of rebel magic? »
«One, yes. I was still a kid when it happened, and I believed that the victim was going to die. And before you say that Natural Magic is dangerous, know that that person was nine, and had learned alone to control his accidental magic, what's more, he was exhausted, even with his pretension of the contrary. And he still is alive today. »
«If you say so. Can you make a demonstration of Natural Magic? »
Sabo raised an eyebrow and looked at Umbridge.
«What are you expecting of me? »
«Do, for example, the exercise you asked your students to do. »
«Then, wait for them to finish, I'll take advantage to make a demonstration of it. »
Quickly, the students went to stand in front of their teacher and began to breathe deeply to calm themselves and be able to reach their magic.
«I will make a demonstration of what I expect of you, and I'll let you to it, » Sabo told them.
He held a hand in front of him and a tennis ball appeared without any difficulty.
«Don't be presumptuous or arrogant. If you can't make something of this size, I prefer to see you make appear something smaller, rather than seeing you hurt. »
Hermione winced made him look at her with surprise.
Apparently, she must have an idea of the type of wound someone could receive doing that.
Sabo looked at the students concentrate to make a ball appear, passing in the lines, throwing and catching his own ball without any care for it. The exercise was done with some ease, and all got a tennis ball.
"Why do I bother giving them classes, when Marco has already done such a good job?" pondered Sabo during an instant.
«This class seems well advanced, » commented Umbridge.
«The exercise of the ball is rather easy, » countered Sabo. «Now, we will pass to the level superior. You have the choice between the easier solution of working with your ball and transfigure it, or create something new from combining your magic and the air's. We will begin small, once again, you will make appear a living being. Insect or vertebrate, it's your choice. Don't make something too big. Try to make it living. Put some heart and passion in it. Here an example if the two methods. »
Sabo held his hands in front of him, visible to all students. The tennis ball shimmer and became a white mouse, and her twin appeared from nowhere in his other hand.
«When you did that, we'll see the time we have, and we will try for something bigger, progressively. Your magic is a muscle. If you force too much at once, he'll snap, and that's when accidents happen. If you do it progressively, level after level, you'll do it perfectly the next time, beginning by the highest level you reached today. It's your turn. »
Sabo grabbed the two mice by their tail and looked at them, thinking, before putting them in his pocket.
«Shayna will be happy. »
Th Gryffindors smiled knowing what he was talking about.
Each student concentrated on what they were doing.
Harry sense his sweat drop in his neck. He couldn't make it alive. He either had a dead animal (which was disgusting), or a statue.
The yelp coming from Hermione made him turn his head.
In front of her had just appeared a living marmot who was looking at her with questioning eyes, before beginning to run around her.
«Hahahaha! Not bad, Hermione-kun! Ten points to Gryffindor for the marmot! The problem of the majority of you, is that you imagine something stationary. Life, is the movement. Concentrate on that! Hermione-kun, take a rest, go. »
Harry though an instant. It's true that he had imagine stationary things. While Hermione was sitting in the grass and was watching her marmot run away (which she brought back with an accio, she didn't want the poor animal to be eaten by something in the wood), the Boy-Who-Lived focused again, after having vanished his poor tries with a gesture of his hand. Brusquely, he senses his energy leave him quickly, as if he had opened a valve fully. He immediately felt Sabo beside him, posing one hand on his shoulder, pouring his own energy in him, without cutting the flow.
«You tried too hard. Once the spell cast, you can't go back, » whispered Sabo.
Finally, it ended, and Harry let himself fall on the ground, exhausted. If Sabo hadn't stepped forward to give him energy, he didn't dare imagine what would there still be of him. However, the little cry of the lion cub he had made appear made him laugh.
«You won't participate to the rest of the class. Hermione-kun, since you're a prefect and that you finished the exercise, take your classmate to see Pomphrey-sensei, please, » called Sabo as he easily helped Harry to stand up.
He picked up the cub and gave it to Harry.
«It's a beautiful creation. No one know if, with the force you put in it, he'll stay long or not, but it would be too bad not taking him with you. »
Hermione came to help Harry who kept the lion cub in his free arm and accompanied him in the castle. Sabo immobilized the marmot while waiting for his student to come back.
«This could have gone badly, Harry, » pointed Hermione.
«I know…» muttered the Boy-Who-Lived.
«Did you know that Ace has some ribs missing? »
Harry stayed silent in front of this comment before asking :
«Why are you telling me this? »
«You remember the time when the professor Fushisho forbid me from participating to the class ans asked Ace to send me to the infirmary? That day, he told me what happened the time he forced too much with the natural magic. He lost three ribs that day. Reportedly, he almost exploded from the inside and only survived because of his godfather. »
«I see…»
They reached the infirmary and Madam Pomphrey looked at them with a puzzled face.
«Harry forced too much in Natural Magic, » explained Hermione.
«Fortunately, we have a teacher who knows what he is doing, or, I doubt that you would still be there, Mister Potter! To bed, execution! I'm keeping you for the night! »
Harry dragged himself into the bed with some help from Hermione, and put the sleeping lion cub on it.
«And what is this animal? »
«My creation…» smiled piteously Harry.
Hermione came back running to Sabo's class to see that the majority of the students were still stuck. Neville did create a yellow canary which was singing on his shoulder.
«The nurse wants to keep Harry for the night, » stated Hermione.
«Good initiative, »approved Sabo.
Umbridge scowled. This was a detention with the boy that wouldn't take place.
The ring stating the end of class called them to order.
«Very well everyone! That's all for today! You worked well. For homework, you have to think about the method you used today, and what was missing to give life to your creation! That will be all for today! And don't forget that if you want to practice, don't do it alone, have an adult close by to step forward and help you if things turn badly. The Natural Magic can be very dangerous. Never forget the risk, and don't aim to high. Keep in mind your objective and do it by steps. I'll see you all next week! »
Hermione stayed purposely behind, putting away her things slowly (after signaling Ron to go ahead), while Umbridge questioned Sabo.
«So, you're eighteen, right? »
«Yes. »
«You're very young to be a professor…»
«If you want to pass later in my office, I'll show you my diplomas proving my right to act as a professor. »
She didn't have to know there were fake…
«With great pleasure… You are the one who put in place this program? »
«In part. The work of my predecessor is my directive line and I adapt it to the level of the classes. Marco is a genius, anyone who know him would agree on this. »
Umbridge took some notes.
«What happened with Mister Potter? »
«He imagined a lion cub who would become one day a lion, and not a lion cub. This simple distinction embeds in the spell the idea of growth of an individual and his aging. Something that I see only with the seventh years. A spell cast can't be disrupted, either with or without a wand. So, the effect is sapping his energy to accomplish the demand. Imagine and do this sort of thing is of my level, easily. So, I stepped forward to keep him from dying of exhaustion and allow the spell to complete, without incident. I keep an eye on the state of all my students. If they are too tired, they have to take a rest, or even go to the infirmary to rest. If they try too high, I step forward to allow the spell to take my own magic so as to not weaken them too much. That's this simple. »
«And it's the professor Fushisho who taught you that? »
«No, it's to have brothers with the survival instincts of a rock. »
«Very well. So, could you give me a copy of your credentials? I'll also ask my colleagues of the ministry a copy of your OWL's and NEWT's results. »
«Do as you wish, said Sabo indifferently. »
«I'll send you the result of this inspection in about ten days. »
«I can't wait. »
The sarcasm passed far above Umbridge head.
«In which house were you, before? »
«I came to Hogwarts after Salem's destruction, explained Sabo. «The year of my OWL's. I was sent to Ravenclaw. Will that be all? »
«I think, yes. Thank you for your cooperation. »
And Umbridge took her toadiness elsewhere.
«You wanted something? » Asked Sabo turning to Hermione.
Hermione blushed and lowered her eyes embarrassed.
«While taking Harry to the Infirmary, I remembered something, which send me back to the incident last year which had me thinking. I didn't really think about it after, but to talk about Ace put it back in my memories. »
«I'm listening. »
«I don't think I have the right to take an interest… it is about Ace private life, after all…»
Sabo raised an eyebrow, encouraging her to continue.
Hermione though about the way to talk about the subject, not wanting to make Sabo angry, nor be insulting or cause a misunderstanding. She knew that there were things she didn't know, and couldn't know, and that without theses information, she could be badly interpreting a situation.
She took a deep breath and said:
«There isn't any Ann, is there? »
Sabo stayed puzzled, wondering what she was talking about, then with a groan of understanding he left out a chuckle.
«If I had a Nee-chan, instead of a Nii-chan, yes, there would have been an Ann. After, I don't know if this story would have taken place or not. Ace and Marco have a relation, true. Marco is a good guy, he makes my brother happy, respect him and look after him. I don't expect any less from the person sharing his life with Ace. They may have a lot of year that separate them, but they are serious in their feelings for each other's. »
Sabo shrugged and told her with a small smile.
«What more could you ask for ? When they were both here, their relation could have been bothering, if it had been known, but for us, it's just another strange thing of life, why search any further? My answer is enough? »
Hermione nodded with a smile, happy and reassure of not have caused any misunderstanding.
«In some years, I'll try to bribe one of my colleagues of the revolution to make a surprise to Ace. A surprise that will last, I hope, long enough to make me an uncle on that side! » Confessed Sabo. «Ivankov is a good guy, if you knew how to play him right. »
Hermione almost choked on her laughter, following Sabo to the castle, understanding his intention.
«He will kill you. »
«I doubt it. I am an angel, after all, »snickered Sabo.
Vivi put silently her hand in the bowl of Murlap Essence that Hermione had taken out for her, Harry and Nami. Luffy looked like someone who wanted to commit a murder, his shaking fists, and the dark glare. The only thing making him sit in the chair was Shayna who was wrapped around him to immobilize him.
«This witch is abominable, » murmured Hermione. «Abominable. You know, I was telling Ron and Luffy when you arrived… that we should do something about her. »
«I suggested the poison», Ron said with a dark face.
«Sabo can get it, » muttered Nami placing her chin on her good hand.
«We can also send a letter to Chopper or bribe Karasu to get some venom from Kali, » said Luffy
The Golden Trio send him a puzzled stare.
«Quetzacoal is a feathered snake, » explained Nami. «And snakes, there is a lot that exist, but Kali's sort, because we don't know if it really like that that the god was seen, is made from the rattlesnake.
«Ow, the venom of a viper? Umbridge will sense it pass… commented Vivi. «I could also ask Pell or Chakka to find some desert's strawberries, but it could be dangerous if the hatching took place in public.
«Desert's strawberries? »
Ron's lips curled upward as he fell like laughing.
«Ichigo no sabaku. That's how we call the eggs of a spider that look like strawberry. A lot of careless traveler eat them. Sometime later, with the hatching, they fall dead, before a toxic gas escape from their body and the newborn spiders eat the body from the inside. »
«Urg, we could have done without the details, » winced Harry.
«We could send her to Shiki! » Proposed Luffy.
«We defeated Shiki last year, » reminded Nami.
«Pff…»
«I was talking about her classes where we don't learn anything to defend ourselves, » precise Hermione.
«What can we do about it? » Answered Ron yawning. «Too late, no? She got the post and she is here for a long time, Fudge will make sure of it. And Sabo teach us more in way to defend ourselves, except today. By the way, weren't you suppose to pass the night at the infirmary? »
Everyone looked at Harry who seemed a little pale.
«Umbridge maintained my detention. Madam Pomphrey told me to sleep, after it. She wants to see me tomorrow morning to make sure that everything is alright, but I don't risk anything, from her. »
«Harry, I will always remember the time when Ace pushed too much with magic, and I assure you, you don't want to end like that, pointed out Luffy. »
«And you, you should worry, Luffy. You sleep badly and you still don't have a wand! » Nami told him.
«But I'm stronger than Harry. So you were saying about the defense classes, Hermione? »
No use pressing, Luffy didn't want to talk more about it.
«We don't learn all with theory. At one moment or another, we need to practice, » commented Vivi.
«In fact, » risked Hermione, I was thinking this morning…»
And she threw a worried glance at Harry, then got started:
«I was thinking that the time may had come to…» make things ourselves.
«Ourselves? » Repeated Harry in a suspicious tone, his floating hand still in his Murlap Essence.
«Yes… learn Defense Against the Dark Arts by ourselves», continued Hermione.
«What are you talking about? Groaned Ron. You want to give us more work? Do you realize that I have a backlog in our homework? We're only at our second week! »
«It's because you didn't bother to come with us to see Robin and Sabo to help us with our homework, like last year, » pointed out Nami with a frown.
«Yes but this, it's more important than the homework», said Hermione.
Everyone stared at her stunned in surprise.
Hermione had just said that something was more important than homework?
Nami took her temperature, but shook her head.
«She doesn't seem sick. »
«Why is it suddenly more important? » Asked Harry.
«We must prepare, like you said it so well. I don't know everything of the world, but I'm not naive enough to believe myself totally safe. After all, I share my everyday life with pirates and I remember very well what you told Umbridge, harry. We have to prepare for what is awaiting us outside. We need to have the necessary tools to defend ourselves. If we don't learn anything at all during one year…»
«We won't accomplish a lot alone», sighed Ron distressed. Of course, we can always go to the library to study the curses and try to apply them… Or ask Sabo to teach us the defense spells. »
«Sabo has to be careful. If it go back to the ears of Gamabridge » the girls giggled hearing the name «He will be sacked, and he has to stay here», said Luffy.
«I agree, we're beyond where we could learn the things in the books, » said Hermione. We need a teacher, a true one, who will know how to show us how to use the spells and correct us in case of a mistake. We can't count on Sabo. He probably has a lot of work on his side. »
«If you think about Lupin…» began Harry.
«No, no; I'm not thinking of Lupin, » cut Hermione. «He is too busy with the Order and anyway, we could only see him during our Hogsmead week-end, which wouldn't be enough. »
«Alright, but who, then? »
Hermione sighed deeply.
The other two girls put their hands on their mouths to not laugh, understanding what she wanted to say. Even Shayna seemed to be laughing, which was leaving the boys puzzled.
«It's evident, no. I'm talking about you, Harry. »
There was a moment of silence, except for the laugh of Nami and Vivi who had pushed their bowl to fall about laughing in their seat. A slight nocturnal wind made the window shake, behind Ron and the flames in the fire place shivered.
«Me about what? » Questioned Harry.
«Let me decode it for you the idea of Hermione, »said Nami passing an arm around the Boy-Who-Lived' shoulder. You. Teacher. This decryption will cost you three sickles! »
Harry stared at them with round eyes. Then, he turned toward Ron, ready to exchange with him one of these exasperate looks that Hermione inspired in them when she threw herself in one of her extravagant projects. But to the consternation of Harry, Ron didn't seem exasperate at all.
The slightly wrinkled forehead, he seemed to be thinking.
Luffy, on his side, leaned his head on the side as if thinking about it.
«It's an idea, they said. »
«What is an idea? » Harry asked.
«You. That you become our teacher, » said Ron.
«But…»
Harry was smiling now, sure that his friend were joking.
«I'm not a professor, I can't…»
«You're always the best in the classes of Defense Against the Dark arts, » said Hermione.
«Me? » Wondered harry smiling more. Of course not, you beat me at all the exams. »
«No, that's not true, » retorted Hermione coldly. «You and Luffy beat me in third year, the only year when we all passed the exam with a teacher who knew what he was doing. But it isn't about tests, Harry, think about what you did! If Luffy surpass us in defense, it's because he has experience in the true fights, but of all of us, you are the one with the most experience in a magical fight! »
«What do you mean? »
«Mattaku, I'm almost sure that even Luffy wouldn't be that thick-headed! » Mocked clearly Nami.
«Hey! Nami, you meanie! » Huffed Luffy.
Nami stuck her tongue at him.
«You know Hermione, I don't really want to have such a dumb professor », Ron told Hermione with a mocking smirk.
He turned toward Harry.
«Let's think, he said imitating Goyle trying to focus. Eh… first year, you saved the philosopher stone form the hands of You-Know-Who. »
«Just luck», said Harry. It wasn't my personal ability…»
«Second Year, » interrupted Ron, you killed a Basilisk and vanquished Riddle. »
«Yes, but if Fawkes and the professor Fushisho hadn't been there, I…»
«For now, I find it rather good from a rather normal guy, » smiled Vivi.
«Third year, » continued Ron raising his voice, you face a hundred Dementors at once…»
«Sabo helped us, protecting us from the professor Lupin! And if the Time Turner…»
«Last year, » continued Ron who was almost yelling now, You fought You-Know-Who once again…»
«Listen to me! » Exclaimed Harry almost angry.
Ron and Hermione now had smirk on their lips, but the others weren't laughing.
«You listen to me, yes? It seems very good when you talk about it like that, but it was only luck. Half of the time, I didn't know what I was doing, I had nothing planned, I simply improvised as I could and almost always received help…»
Ron and Hermione continued to snicker and Harry sensed his anger raise. He didn't even know why he was so furious.
«Don't stay smiling like that as if you know better than me! » He said, getting worked up. «I was the one who was there, no? I know very well how it happened! And if I did all of this, it wasn't because I was brilliant at Defense Against the Dark Arts but because… because I received help at a good time or because I guessed well… but, believe me, I floundered completely, I didn't have any idea of what I was doing- AND STOP LAUGHING! »
Luffy caught narrowly the bowl of Essence of Murlap before he fell from the table when Harry jumped on his feet. Crookshanks went to take refuge under one of the couches. Shayna raised her body hissing in puzzlement on Luffy's knees that she had freed when she saw he wasn't going to do anything rash. The smile on Ron and Hermione lips had disappeared.
«You don't know what it is! Neither of you, had to fight him! You think that to remember some spells and throw it to his face is enough, as if we were in class? During all the time you are in front of him, you know that between you and death, here is nothing more than your brain, your guts or who know what. As if you could think normally when you know that in a fraction of second, you could be killed, tortured or see your friends die… they never taught you that in class, what it is to face this sort of things…. And you two, you're there as if I am a brave and smart boy because I'm alive, as if Diggory, him, was an idiot who had failed… You don't understand anything, I could very well have died in his place, it's what would have happened if Voldemort hadn't needed me, or if Ace hadn't been there…»
«We said nothing like that, mate, » Ron defended himself, dumbfounded. We never went after Diggory, not at all, you're totally mistaken…»
He threw a desperate glance toward the others. Hermione seemed petrified.
«Harry, » she said timidly, You don't understand. That… that's exactely why we need you… we need to know h- how it is… to… to face him… face V- Voldemort, and all the others who would want to hurt us in the future. »
It was the first time in her life that she said Voldemort's name and it was that, more than the rest, that succeed in calming Harry. The respiration still jerky, he let himself fall back on his chair and took back the bowl of Murlap with a brief thanks to Luffy.
«Listen… think about it», Hermione said, her voice low. Please. »
Luffy brusquely stood up and began to untie his necktie.
«You're better than me when it's about casting spells. You know things that I don't, and I want to learn them…» he said.
He began to remove his shirt.
«Luffy? » Said Nami with worry.
«I agree with you that in a true fight, it isn't exactly the same. That we can only count on our guts and our luck. »
The shirt slid from his shoulders, showing the bandages to the gobsmacked eyes of the assistance. Bandage that he began to remove.
«But by adding to my knowledge in defense, I would be able to avoid an incident like the one that separated me from my nakamas at Shabaody… or avoid forcing someone to protect me. »
The bandage fell, showing his scar. Some screams welcomed the gesture. The message was clear, he didn't want a new scar like this one.
«I know what a fight is like, Harry. That's why I need you to not be a burden during a fight ever again. To be able to protect everybody. »
He knelt down, his head on the carpet, at Harry's feet.
«Onegai shimasu. Teach me. »